Cercis plant named &#39;JN16&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Cercis  plant named ‘JN16’, characterized by its compact plant habit with relatively short internodes; deep purple-colored leaves; good garden performance with good leaf color retention during the summer.

Botanical designation: Cercis canadensis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘JN16’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Cercis plant,botanically known as Cercis canadensis, commercially referred to asEastern Redbud and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘JN16’.

The new Cercis plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventors in Belvidere, Tenn. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new Cercis plants with purple-coloredleaves that retain their color throughout the summer.

The new Cercis plant originated from a cross-pollination in May, 2012 inBelvidere, Tenn. of Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 22,097, as the female, or seed, parent with Cerciscanadensis ‘JN2’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,451, as the male,or pollen, parent. The new Cercis plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventors as a single plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled nursery environment in Belvidere,Tenn. in May, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Cercis plant by chip budding ontoproprietary seedling Cercis rootstock in a controlled environment inBelvidere, Tenn. since August, 2013 has shown that the unique featuresof this new Cercis plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Cercis have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘JN16’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘JN16’ as a new and distinct Cercis plant:

-   -   1. Compact plant habit with relatively short internodes.    -   2. Deep purple-colored leaves.    -   3. Good garden performance with good leaf color retention during        the summer.

Plants of the new Cercis can be compared to plants of the female parent,‘Ruby Falls’. Plants of the new Cercis differ from plants of ‘RubyFalls’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Cercis are more compact than and not as        pendulous as plants of ‘Ruby Falls’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Cercis retain their color during        the summer better than plants of ‘Ruby Falls’.

Plants of the new Cercis can be compared to plants of the male parent,‘JN2’. Plants of the new Cercis differ from plants of ‘JN2’ in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Cercis are more compact than plants of        ‘JN2’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Cercis retain their color during        the summer better than plants of ‘JN2’.

Plants of the new Cercis can be compared to plants of Cercis canadensis‘Forest Pansy’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of thenew Cercis differed primarily from plants of ‘Forest Pansy’ in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Cercis were more compact, had shorter        internodes and were denser than plants of ‘Forest Pansy’.    -   2. Plants of the new Cercis and ‘Forest Pansy’ differed in leaf        color as plants of ‘Forest Pansy’ had lighter purple-colored        leaves.    -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Cercis retained their color        during the summer better than plants of ‘Forest Pansy’.

Plants of the new Cercis can also be compared to plants of Cerciscanadensis ‘JN7’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,701. Inside-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Cercis differed primarilyfrom plants of ‘JN7’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Cercis were more compact than and not as        upright as than plants of ‘JN7’.    -   2. Plants of the new Cercis and ‘JN7’ differed in leaf color as        plants of ‘JN7’ had green-colored leaves.    -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Cercis were glossier than plants        of ‘JN7’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Cercis plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Cercis plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of atypical tree of ‘JN16’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe trees grown during the spring, summer and autumn in15-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery in Belvidere, Tenn. and ParkHill, Okla. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Cercisproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom 9.3° C. to 30.6° C. and night temperatures ranged from −1.9° C. to18.8° C. Plants were four years old when the photograph and descriptionwere taken. In the description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification:    -   -   Cercis canadensis ‘JN16’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’,            disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,097.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Cercis canadensis ‘JN2’, disclosed            in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,451.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By chip budding onto proprietary seedling Cercis            rootstock.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Deciduous tree; compact plant habit;            overall shape, broad oval; moderately vigorous growth habit;            moderate growth rate.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about 11 to 15            primary branches each with about 8 to 11 secondary branches.        -   Plant height.—About 1.9 meters.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 1.5 meters.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—Variable depending on position on the tree, average,            about 70 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 8 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 4.4 cm.        -   Aspect.—Moderately upswept, about 45° from vertical.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong, firm.        -   Texture and luster.—Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy.        -   Color.—Developing, close to N202A; at the internodes, close            to N200A; developed, close to N200A.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, single.        -   Length.—About 14.9 cm.        -   Width.—About 13.8 cm.        -   Shape.—Reniform.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cordate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous; glossy.        -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous; matte.        -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N186A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to N79B. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N77A; venation,            close to 132A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 138B and 59C; venation, close to 59A. Autumn leaf color,            upper surface: Close to 151C. Autumn leaf color, lower            surface: Close to 144C tinged with close to 161B.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 4.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy. Color, upper            surface: Close to 202A. Color, lower surface: Close to 187B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Single            papilionaceous flowers arranged in terminal and axillary            racemes with about seven flowers per raceme; freely            flowering habit with about 8,000 flowers developing during            the flowering season; flowers face mostly upright.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Cercis flower in            the mid-spring in Oklahoma; flowers last about ten days on            the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.3 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Flower height.—About 6 mm.        -   Flower depth.—About 1.5 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte.            Color: Close to 202A.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Typically five petals in a single whorl            with upper three petals forming a banner (or standard) petal            and lower petals forming a keel. Length, banner: About 6 mm.            Length, keel: About 2.5 mm. Width, banner: About 2 mm.            Width, keel: About 1 mm. Shape, all petals: Roughly ovoid.            Apex, all petals: Rounded. Base, all petals: Rounded.            Margin, all petals: Entire. Texture and luster, all petals:            Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, all petals: When opening,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to N78B. Fully opened, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to N74B; color does not change            with development.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Typically five sepals in a single            whorl; calyx roughly ovoid in shape. Length: About 4 mm.            Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute to rounded.            Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When            opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 60B. Fully            opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 60D.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.            Aspect: About 30° from the stem axis. Strength: Moderately            strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color:            Close to 71B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: About ten            per flower. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color:            Close to 69D. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About            0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 18C. Amount of pollen:            Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 161B. Gynoecium: Pistil            number: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style            length: About 7.5 mm. Style color: Close to 71C. Stigma            diameter: About 0.5 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color:            Close to 145C. Ovary color: Close to 137B.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Cercis to date.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Cercis have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and    temperatures ranging from about −23.3° C. to about 37.7° C. and to    be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Cercis have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Cercis    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Cercis plant named ‘JN16’ asillustrated and described.